Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday, 24 August, said that people can now book COVID vaccine slots using WhatsApp. He said it would pave “a new era of citizen convenience”.
India has so far fully vaccinated over 13 crore people, while over 45 crore people have received their first dose. Till now, registration for COVID vaccination was being done only on the CoWIN app, which, for the non-tech savvy citizens, was a struggle.
How to book a slot from your phone?
First, send ‘Book Slot’ to MyGovIndia Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp number +91 90131 51515 (a link for the same was shared by Mandaviya on Twitter wa.me/919013151515). An OTP will be generated from the CoWIN platform and sent to your phone.
Once the OTP is confirmed, your number will be verified.
You’ll then need to follow the steps as per your registration and/or vaccination status.
Can you book a slot directly on the CoWIN app?
Yes, you can directly register and book a vaccine slot on the CoWIN app as well. Moreover, several websites have been designed to help find open slots.
So far, six vaccines have been approved in India, including the latest, ZyCoV-D. Other vaccines are Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V, and the US-made Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
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